1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-trace recorders. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a trace locator for identifying a position of recording trace in a multi-trace recorder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One prior art type of multi-trace recorder utilizes a composite recording head having a stack of a plurality of individual recording elements extending across the width of the recording medium e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,360. The problem in this type of recorder has been to position on the recording medium the particular trace being recorded. In the prior art there have been various proposals for identifying the recording trace such as recording individual traces in respective colors, printing nubmers alongside individual traces to identify the trace, recording each trace in a different configuration of dots and dashes, etc. While such prior art arrangements are effective to provide an identification for individual traces on the multi-trace recorder, in a recorder which is time-shared to record a plurality of traces on a single record member there is still the need to position the trace on the recording medium and to preset the range, or limits, of traces currently being recorded. The prior art recorders were not suitable for providing such position and limit identification when the recorder was not running. In other words, the trace position was determined by running the recording medium past the recording head while the gain or signal dividing elements of the input signal conditioning circuit were adjusted with an applied test input signal until the zero input signal location and the input signal limit locations were located in desired positions on the recording medium. These locations were identified by record lines on the recording medium corresponding to the test signal being used to adjust the recording system.